iWinter Wonderland
by Princess-Warrior 17
Summary: Winters always equal cold air, warm cups of hot chocolate, and lots of snow. Except this year, no snow has fallen in Seattle. Sam Puckett is beyond upset and disappointed. Can a certain nub help cheer her up and fix the problem through his special ways? Read and find out! The story is completely independent from iGoodbye or any other episodes. It's more of a "what-if" moment.


**iWinter Wonderland **

**A/N: **

_Hey, guys! It's strange to see me back on here, isn't it? I haven't written anything in quite a while, but since I'm break, I thought I'd give it a shot. Anyway, here's a Seddie one-shot for everyone. _

_The plot has nothing to do with iGoodbye because I don't want to bring down the mood. This story is uplifting and happy. It stands alone and isn't post any episode. Think of it as a "what-if" moment for Sam and Freddie. And I know that Seattle doesn't really get snow, so bear with me on the incorrect data. _

_Most importantly, this is dedicated to Moviepal. He asked me to write a fluffy one-shot for the best couple ever, so I had to agree. Here you go, man. Hope you enjoy! _

**Disclaimer:**

_If I owned iCarly, there wouldn't have been an end to it. Sadly, that is not the case. But, I did borrow an idea from Gossip Girl. See if you can figure it out. _

* * *

It was that time of year again. The bitter air nipped at noses, fingers, and toes; mugs were filled with mouth-watering hot chocolate; huge, oversized coats were zipped all the way up to block out the cold; and crinkling fires dazzled in the background. Except this year, there was no snow. And that was something Samantha Puckett could not handle.

She sat, irritated, in Carly Shay's living room with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in her hands. She sighed quietly at the prospect of being alone in an empty apartment. Normally, she would be hanging out with Carly, but her best friend was out Christmas shopping with Spencer. They had told Sam that under no circumstances could she tag along. She secretly hoped they were buying her something, so she didn't argue.

However, she still felt angry that the weather wasn't doing what it was supposed to. She wanted a White Christmas! She wanted snow to build a snowman with, to have snowball fights with, and to make snow angels with. But the stupid Seattle weather gave her nothing. It was just blowing frosty breezes and nothing else. It wasn't even raining gallons of water like she had expected. She growled under her breath and continued to sip her warm drink.

Suddenly, the Shay's front door flew open and in stepped Freddie Benson.

At the sight of him, Sam grinned broadly. She felt her stomach flutter a bit, while her cheeks heated up. She wasn't too surprised by her reaction to his presence; she had been acting this way for the last few months. Things were changing with them, and she was pretty sure she didn't mind.

"Hey, Frednub," Sam called.

Freddie smiled in response, plopping down next to her. "Hi, Puckett," he answered. "What are you up to?"

"Eh, same old same old. I'm just drinking some of Carly's coca because she had it lying around." She held up the mug briefly before taking another swig. "And what is Sir Dork-A-Lot doing here?"

He snorted, gently knocking his shoulder into her. "I came to see if you and Carly wanted to do something. We could go to the Omniplex and catch a movie, or go grab a smoothie. I've been stuck inside all day, so I'm bored. I mean, I can't even enjoy a nap in front of a fire place because we don't have one! My mom thinks they're really dangerous." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

Sam couldn't help but giggle. "Well, of course. What if you were to fall in? Carly and I wouldn't be able to get you out! Then your psychotic mom would be after us for the rest of our lives."

"Right. You'd never be able to escape her. She'd probably pop up at random times to scream at you two for allowing me to be near it," he snickered.

"Exactly. At any rate, I'd love to go out, but Carly isn't home. She and Spencer are out Christmas shopping, so they left me to my own devices. I hope they're out buying me a twenty pound ham or gourmet chocolate dipped bacon." Her eyes twinkled at the very idea.

He chuckled. "Of course. You're insane, you know that?"

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't," she shot back, placing her now empty mug on the coffee table.

"You certainly wouldn't be Princess Puckett if you were someone different." He leaned forward to tuck a stray curl behind Sam's ear, but his hand remained nestled in her hair.

The close proximity was making Sam's head spin. She found herself getting lost in his smoldering brown eyes, which seem to burn with an emotion that was beyond his usual friendliness. Plus, his intoxicating cinnamon scent was blocking any coherent thoughts from entering her mind. She knew that only a couple of inches separated their lips, but there was no way she would make the first move.

Luckily, she didn't have to worry about it because Freddie released his hold on her a second later.

He cleared his throat before softly saying, "So are you up to doing something even though Carly's not around?"

Sam thought for a moment and decided to ignore his question. "Is it still not snowing outside?"

He furrowed his eyebrows at the subject change, but went along with it anyway. "Yeah. I checked before I came over and there's no sign of it. You're pretty bummed, aren't you?"

Sam stood up in exasperation, arms flailing in the process. "Yes! Freddie, it's not winter without snow! I know we don't get a ton of it like some states do, but we have at least an inch or two every year. Now we don't have anything! It's not even raining like it usually does. The only indication of winter in Seattle is the cold air. I want more than that! I want snow and lots of it. I want to feel it falling, coating my hair and face. I want to roll around and play in it. God, I want snow so bad it hurts."

Freddie sprung up from his spot, reaching his arms to grip Sam's shoulders. He stared at her straight in the eyes, sighing.

"You've felt this way for the past couple of weeks, haven't you?" he asked.

She nodded her head, while he scrutinized her. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes after a few seconds.

"Does this have anything to do with your dad?" His voice was guarded, almost as if he was afraid to approach the subject.

She nodded again, feeling her heart ache at the mention of her father. "Yeah. Winters were always the best time of the year with him," she whispered.

"Come here." Freddie pulled her in for a tight hug and she closed her eyes, taking in the warmth that he radiated.

Both teens sank down on the couch, in each other's embrace. Silence passed between them as they stayed huddled together. Two minutes passed before Freddie pulled back. He continued to hang onto one of her hands to interlace their fingers.

Sam's gaze wandered to their joined hands, and she smiled slightly. _Things are definitely changing, _she thought to herself.

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm here to listen if you do." His voice broke her thoughts, causing her to snap her head up.

She shrugged, emotionally closing up the hole in her heart so that it wouldn't gape open. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, why were winters special with him? What did you guys do to make them worthwhile?"

"If you didn't guess earlier, we did a lot with snow. Every year, my dad, Melanie, and I would pick the coldest Saturday of December and play outside. We'd spend four or five hours just launching snowballs at each other, making snow angels, and building snowmen and forts. Then afterward, we'd go inside and drink Mom's hot chocolate and eat her famous homemade chocolate chip cookies." She paused to take a breath and then went on.

"After our snack, Mel and I would be hopped up on sugar, so Dad would take us ice skating at the local rink to wear off our energy. He was the one who taught us how to skate, which is something that I can't forget because it was a wonderful memory. Anyway, when we got home, everyone sat in front of the fireplace. Dad and Mom took turns telling us stories until we fell asleep. Those times were so perfect," she sighed contently.

Freddie remained quiet for a moment, soaking in the information. When he felt ready to speak again, he said, "Sounds like it. Actually, it seems kind of like a fairytale."

"It was. My childhood wasn't filled with anger, hurt, and confusion. Everyone thinks that I had the worst life as a kid. There are so many stories about me being abused or neglected, when none of that actually happened. The only grain of truth was the fact that I was always a bit of a trouble maker. But I never got into serious trouble until later on. Everything was picture-perfect when I was young. Mel and I got along great, my mom was put-together and happy, and my dad was around all of the time. Then things changed. My life fell apart when Dad got really sick and died. Mel left for boarding school and Mom became the woman she is today. And the worst part of the situation was realizing the more I got into trouble, the better it felt. The anger and confusion took over when my addiction of wrecking havoc started." She frowned, glancing down to avoid his gaze.

However, he used his other hand to lift her chin so that she could look him in the eyes.

"You're not like that anymore, Sam. You're not the angry, insecure girl that you used to be. You have two best friends who love you to death. You also have Spencer, who cares so much for you. You have to understand that no matter what happens, we're here for you." He moved his hand to place it over her heart. "Sam, you have an amazing heart. There's a lot of warmth in it, even though you only show it to a few people. Never forget that."

At his words, Sam wanted to swoon. More than anything, she wished to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless. How could he sit there and be incredibly sweet to her when all she ever did was call him names and beat him up? She couldn't come up with a decent answer to her questions, so she settled for the simple fact that he was just Freddie: her lovable best friend.

Minutes ticked by without a response from Sam. Freddie figured she was probably still recovering from spilling out her deepest secrets, so he let the silence settle. At last, the quietness wore on him, causing him to leap up, dragging her with him.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here," he said, leading them to the door.

"Where are we going?" She sounded puzzled and a bit timid.

"A place. We've been inside for too long. It's time to get out."

He flung open the door and stepped out into the hallway. Using the key from the underneath the doormat, he locked door. Once that was finished, he swiftly walked to the elevator with her close behind.

"Where are we going?" she repeated, while they waited for the machine to descend to the front lobby.

"You'll find out in about fifteen minutes."

When the elevator reached the designated floor, the two got out and rushed into the sharp chill of the Seattle air.

Sam zipped up her jacket higher, muttering under her breath, "Damn, it's cold outside. If only we had snow to go along with it."

Freddie chuckled at her persistence of the subject. Fortunately, his car was parked close to the front door of the Bushwell Plaza, so they didn't have to walk far in the freezing atmosphere. He clicked the unlock button on his keypad, and both teens slipped into their respective seats of the black Volvo. He started the car, quickly turning on the heater and window defrosters. The car hummed for a bit before he peeled out the parking lot and out onto the street.

Sam kept quiet, wondering where on Earth they were going. There were a million places in Seattle that he could take her to. But when a familiar building came into sight, she gasped.

"We're going ice skating?" she asked in awe.

"Yes. After that story you told me, I knew we had to come here. You loved this place, Sam. It's time to go back and make more memories to add to the ones you already have." He smiled genuinely at her, his brown eyes dancing.

"I don't know if I can. I haven't skated in years, not ever since Dad died. I'm not sure I'm ready for this," she whimpered, biting her lip.

Secretly, she wanted to slap herself for being vulnerable. She couldn't help it, though. The skating rink was the one place that could break her into nothing. Even if she was eighty years old, it would still get to her.

Freddie reached over to touch Sam's hand. He squeezed gently and sighed. "You need to go in. Think of it as closure, in a sense. You loved skating and maybe doing it again will fill that empty space in you. Just skate for a few minutes and if you feel like leaving, we'll go. Okay?"

"Okay." She unlatched the door to get out.

He followed suit, slammed his door, and began the trek toward the front entrance.

"Wait," she interrupted, stopping him in his tracks.

He turned around to face her. "What?"

"You don't have to pay for my skates. I have a pair in my old locker."

"You have a pair? I thought you said you haven't skated in years. Wouldn't your skates be too small for you?"

"Mel has a pair that I can use. The last time she was in town, and yes, that was actually her, she came here. She told me she stowed the skates in my locker, so whenever I was ready to go back to it, I could use them. I didn't take her up on the offer, but I guess I am now."

"Yes, you are. C'mon. It's freezing out here. Let's get inside where it's a little warmer."

They hastily entered the building, and Sam jumped ahead. Her eyes immediately lit up when she saw the old man behind the ticket counter. Her lips curved into a small smile, while she moved closer so that she was standing in front of him.

"Hi, Larry," she said softly.

He moved his glasses up farther on his nose and straightened his navy blue employee polo. His blue eyes shined with recognition. "Why, it's Sam Puckett! How are you doing, honey?"

"I'm all right. It's been so long, hasn't it?" She spun around to stare at the familiar decorations hanging on the walls. Nostalgia washed over her, and she shifted her attention back to him.

"It has been. Haven't seen you since your dad passed. Melanie came in a while ago. It was good seeing her, but I'm glad my favorite Puckett is here." He grinned at her before glancing at Freddie. "Well, who is this young man? Did you finally get a boyfriend?" he laughed, leaning back in his swivel chair.

A huge blush crept across Sam's face. Freddie instantly noticed and wound his arm around her shoulders.

"Yup. I'm her boyfriend, Freddie Benson." He smiled cheekily.

"Shut up! Larry, he's not my boyfriend," she stuttered, removing his arm. "He's just my off-the-wall best friend." She turned to glare at him with a look that said, _Say one more word and I will kill you. _

Freddie ignored her look, while Larry winked, letting out a low chuckle.

"Right. Well, I'll go with that story. Anyway, what brings you two to the rink?"

Shrugging, Sam answered, "It's a boring Saturday. Our other best friend is out Christmas shopping, so Freddie and I were left alone. He's the one who dragged me here."

Larry leaned forward to speak to Freddie. "Well, Freddie, you're in for a treat. Sam is the best skater on this side of Seattle."

Sam's blush deepened. "Stop, Larry. You're embarrassing me. I'm not that good."

"Pssh! If not good, you mean you can handle the most difficult jumps that a person can do. Freddie, don't listen to this girl. She's remarkable. Even better than her sister, who's pretty darn great."

"Now you've got my interest! We better get inside then, so I can see these jumps."

Groaning, Sam nodded. "Okay. Larry, I'm using Mel's skates. She left them in my locker, so I should be good to go. How much is admission?" She fished out her wallet from the jacket pocket.

"Don't worry about it," the old man said. "You guys can get in for free today. Think of it as a welcome back present. Go ahead and go in."

"Really? Thanks, Larry," both teens chirped.

"No problem. Now go! The Zamboni just did its run on the ice, so now is the best time to skate. Plus, no one is in there, so you guys have the rink to yourselves."

Sam smiled at Larry, and then got Freddie a pair of skates to fit his feet. Once that was accomplished, she picked up the key to her locker and walked through the door to the rink with Freddie behind her.

She made her way to the blue locker and snatched the pair of skates. When she turned around, she found that Freddie had already picked a spot to sit down so he could lace up his skates. Walking over to him, she had to laugh as he struggled with the laces.

"Having trouble, Freddork?"

"No. I'm perfectly he fine," he lied, running a hand through his tousled hair.

She snorted lightly, bending down to help him. "Sure. Explains why you've been at this for five minutes."

"Hey, it's not like I'm a skating expert. I've only been on the ice one other time in my life." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest like an angry four-year-old.

"I'm not judging you. Skates can be very dangerous if they're not tied right."

She finished in no time, tapping his feet to signal that she was done. "You're all set. But I'm curious. When did you go skating? I thought you were a virgin to the ice." Grinning, she sat down next to him to place her skates on.

"I am _not_ a virgin to the ice. Once I'm actually skating, I'm all right. The skates were always the thing that got me. And to answer your question, I went on a class field trip. For the fifth grade Valentine's Day party, my class chose to come to the rink. Some kids were good, some had trouble, and I was decent. One of the chaperons laced my skates, so I never learned how."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's good that you don't suck. I wouldn't want you to fall down flat on your face when we get out there." She winked, standing up to enter the rink.

As soon as her feet hit the ice, she felt at home. God, she had missed this. It had been seven _long_ years since she had glided across the even surface of the ice. Seven years of lost memories and happiness. She closed her eyes, letting the old thoughts flood her mind. A soft sigh escaped her mouth when her eyes fluttered open.

Freddie stood within a few feet of her. "Feel like home?" he asked hesitantly.

"Feels like home," she answered, and began sliding along the slick ground.

She was too enraptured by the feel of skating again to notice that Freddie was clinging hopelessly to the wall. The ice seemed a lot smoother than the last time he remembered, and he was afraid to venture too far. After about ten minutes of just skating around, Sam looked over her shoulder to find Freddie frozen in spot.

"I thought you said you weren't bad," she called out, gliding over to him.

"That was seven years ago, Sam. Just give me some time to get use to the ice. But enough about me. I want to see those amazing jumps you have!"

Groaning, Sam shook her head. "They're not amazing. I can promise you that. It's been seven years since I've skated, too. At best, they're probably mediocre. I'm not sure you should see them."

"C'mon. Do it for me. Whether they're good or not, I don't care. You just need to get out there and be yourself. Please?" He stuck out his bottom lip to beg like a puppy.

"Fine! But if I fall or make a fool of myself, I _will_ kill you." She narrowed her eyes, but then a tiny smile appeared on her lips.

"Deal."

She let her shoulders drop before turning away, flying on her skates. She danced around the rink and then launched herself in the air, twirling into a basic Salchow jump. For the three seconds she was up there, she felt weightless and breathless. Landing exactly on her feet, she waved her arms in victory. From across the rink, loud clapping sounded from Freddie. He beamed at her, flashing a "thumbs-up" sign.

"You call that mediocre, Puckett? That was terrific!" he shouted.

Shrugging nonchalantly, she grinned. "It was all right."

"All right? You looked like you were dancing in the air! Do another one!"

Sam complied, trying her hand at the toe loop, the loop jump, the flip jump, the Lutz jump, and ending on a double Axel jump, the hardest out of all of them. And with each one, she landed precisely on her feet without any flaws. When she finished, her heart pounded and her cheeks flushed. Her whole body was exhausted, but content. She really had missed her time off the ice.

In a flash, Freddie skated over to her and tackled her in a hug. Luckily, they both didn't fall down on the hard ground.

"That was unbelievable, Sam. God, you were unbelievable," he murmured into her ear.

A shiver ran down her spine, but it was a good kind of shiver. The kind that made her crave more. She clutched him tighter, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Thank you for taking me here," she mumbled. "I forgot how much this place means to me."

"You're welcome. I knew you needed to come here and let out all those bottled up feelings," he breathed.

She nodded, and he felt the movement against his shoulder. She drew away from him soon after to say, "You didn't get a chance to skate."

"It's not a big deal. I brought you here so _you_ could skate. I only came because I figured you'd feel weird about doing it alone. Plus, I'm not great at it. It's probably best if I don't make a complete idiot of myself."

Giggling, Sam agreed. "Very true. Well, do you want to see more? Or shall we get a move on?"

"Let's go. You look tired, and I have something else to show you." He smiled mischievously, taking a hold of her hand to lead her off of the ice.

"Um, okay? What are we going to do now? Today has been fantastic, Freddie. What more do I need?" She sounded confused as she pulled her skates off and tossed them back into her locker.

"You'll see." He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers.

They rushed back to the car to escape the cold. But once they got inside, the whining began.

"Freddie! Why won't you tell me? You've been keeping secrets all day."

"Too bad. We'll be at Bushwell in fifteen minutes. You can stand to be a little patient, Princess." He tapped her at the end of her nose, lips twitching into a half-smile.

"Hummph!" Sam muttered.

"That's my girl." Leaning closer to her, he touched his lips to her temple.

Sam's cheeks immediately flamed up at the contact. Her throat felt a tad dry, her hands bit sweaty. She cursed the fact that Fredward Benson had such an effect on her.

True to his word, the car ride was fifteen minutes flat. As soon as Freddie parked the vehicle, he jumped out and grabbed Sam's door.

"Whoa, slow down! What's the hurry?" she wondered, following him as he raced into Bushwell.

"Sorry. I'm just anxious for you to see my surprise. I've been waiting to show it to you. I think it's the right time now."

When they got to the eighth floor, Freddie dug in his pocket for the key to his apartment. With a soft click, the door swung open a second later.

"Why are we here?" Sam's impatience was starting to wear on her.

"You have to come to my room to find out." That was all he said as he guided her inside, kicking the door shut behind them.

Together, they walked the short distance to his room. Taking a deep breath, Freddie stopped before they entered.

Trying to control his voice so that he wouldn't sound nervous, he said, "Look, I know how much snow and winters matter to you. Even before you told me the story, I figured it out. So I wanted to give you what the weather couldn't. Anyway, here it goes."

In the next moment, the bedroom door opened to reveal the sight that Sam had wanted to see for so long. There was snow everywhere! Not actual snow, but the next best thing. Fake snow was billowing in all directions, floating freely in the air. Three fans were set around the room to make the snow flow, while four computers were projecting the images of snow fall on the walls. Looking at the walls, it seemed like snow was actually falling. It was computer generated, but utterly beautiful nonetheless. The final touches to the scene were the intricately cut out paper snowflakes that clung to the furniture, walls, and door.

A huge gasp left Sam's mouth, while her hand flew to cover it. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, hardly believing what she was seeing. She wanted to pinch herself because it all felt like a dream.

"Do you like it?" Freddie timidly asked.

"You have no idea how much I love it. You did all of this for me?" she squeaked out.

"Yes. This whole lack of snow thing has been depressing you lately, but I didn't understand why at first. I asked Carly what the big deal was, but she refused to tell me. She said it was your business and that you'd tell me when you were ready. I thought it had something to deal with your dad, which is why I waited for you to say something on your own. Still, I wanted to make you feel better, so I came up with this idea." He pointed around the room. "Carly and Spencer helped a lot, in fact. They weren't really out shopping. It was just an excuse for them to come to my apartment and set up the non-technology part of things. I did the tech stuff before I came to take you skating."

Sam gazed at Freddie in wonderment. She felt her insides slowly crumble to nothing. It was hard for her to form a sentence after that. Instead, she settled for wrapping her around his body. She leaned in, resting her forehead against his.

In a quiet voice, she whispered, "God, Freddie. You honestly don't know how happy you've made me. This is even better than real snow because it came from _you._ The only thing I want to know is why? Why would you do this for me?"

In a steady voice with conviction, he replied, "Because I love you."

At his words, she backed up, holding him at arm's length. "You what?"

"I love you," he repeated. "This thing between us isn't just friendship anymore, Sam. I don't know if you've noticed, but things have been changing. And I like these changes very much. Somewhere along the way, I fell for you. Don't ask me how or why because I don't know myself. All I know is that I can't get you out of my head now. So that's why I did this. I didn't do it to seem cool, or because I needed something to do. I did it because I love you. And my only hope is that you love me, too."

His last statement was meant to be a question of sorts, but Sam didn't answer it with words. She answered it with a kiss that represented all of her feelings towards him. She poured her soul into that one kiss, which she had been craving since the day things started changing. Her fingers threaded through his soft hair, while she sighed against his lips. They kept on kissing until they both were out of breath and feeling delirious with joy.

"I love you, too," Sam finally managed to get out. "And because I said that, I expect you to make me your girlfriend."

Freddie grinned wickedly and winked. "I wasn't even going to ask. I assumed after that kiss it was official."

"Now that's what I wanted to hear." She smiled briefly before adding, "I'm cold, though. The room is a bit chilly with the fans blowing. Plus, I can tell the air conditioning is on as well."

"I have the perfect solution to your problem, Puckett." Just then, Freddie flounced on his bed with his arms wide open. "Come here and warm up with me. We can sit back and relax in our Winter Wonderland."

"Can't say no to that." She joined him, curling up in his arms. Her head fit snugly into the crook of his shoulder, and as she lay in bed with him, she felt safe and comfortable.

"You know, I think this is the best winter ever," she stated.

"Really? That good?" His voice revealed the fact that he was surprised, but pleased.

"Yeah. I've got my very own Winter Wonderland right in front of me, and an incredible boyfriend to go along with it. What more could I want?"

"How about a kiss from said boyfriend?"

"That I could live with."

And their lips met once more for another blazing, passionate kiss.

* * *

_**Review, please?**_


End file.
